Chautauqua Adult Day Care Centers Inc. has been planting gardens at their Taft Center at Christ First United Methodist Church.
The gardens were designed to be therapeutic as well as a sensory gardens for the participants. Using the sensory garden will stimulate all the different senses. For visuals, there are flowers that bloom continuously, fragrances from the flowers as they blossom and also the taste of variety of edible plants.
People with sensory loss are able to compensate more effectively with increased stimulation of other senses, which the gardens will provide.
Janet Forbes from Creating Healthy Places at the Chautauqua County Health Network supplied the material for the vegetable gardens. Students from the Erie 2-Chautauqua-Cattaraugus BOCES work-experience program constructed the tabletop garden boxes so participants would be able to plant and take care of the gardens. Students are working towards a GED and also gaining work experience in construction trade through hands on work and classroom training.
Cummins Engine sent their staff for the day to help with the garden and to also build a patio for the participants to sit outside and enjoy the gardens. The patio stone was donated by Crown Hill Stone of Westfield. A perennial flower garden was also worked on by the Cummins employees and students.
Chautauqua Adult Day Care Centers Inc. is a not for profit United Way agency, which offers affordable Senior Day Programs for adults 60 years of age and older who live in the community. The agency has four sites that serve all of Chautauqua County.
The programs provide socialization and offer many opportunities for older adults to participate in activities during the day in a caring friendly atmosphere with supportive staff and companionship.
The sites provide breakfast, snack and a noon time meal for participants. There is also a community recreation program that helps members participate in outings in the community. The sites also offer pet therapy, ceramics, music programs and arts and crafts. There is also a Saturday program available in Jamestown. Funding is available.
For more information visit seniordayprograms.com or call the Jamestown site at 664-9759.